Unordinary, yet Ordinary Love
by JeSsIcA-in-DA-HoUsE
Summary: Emily Burns graduated from high school and is now ready to start her college career. Is she ready? Will she make it through? And more importantly, who is that strange, attractive guy in almost all of her classes?
1. Chapter 1

**Unordinary Ordinary Love **

Welcome to Villa Julie College Emily Luna Burns! Here is your freshman class schedule:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday (8:00-8:50am)— Psychology 101 Dr. Radford, Michelle E.

Monday, Wednesday (1:00-1:50pm)— Sociology 101 Dr. Lessner, Lisa R.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday (10:15-11:00am)— English 151 Dr. Harris, Terry J.

Tuesday (lecture 11:00am-12:30pm), Thursday (lab 11:00am-12:30pm)— Chemistry 111 Dr. Perry, Kelly N.

Move the pointer up… up… ok… click File and click print. Done. The thin paper spat out of my old printer and landed sloppily on my dorm's cheap, blue, carpeted floor.

"yeaawwww…aww…ah" I bellowed a yawn without much care on my appearance as I combed my fingers through my long, messy, wavy, brown hair. I allowed the strands fall on my face only to annoyingly huff them away a second later.

I was staring at the college's website on my silver Dell laptop for how long? Three hours? Four? Who knows. I had a busy day. What did I do? Oh yeah. Today I spent around six hundred dollars on two oversized text books for chemistry, a decent sized text book for both psychology and sociology, and three small essay composition text books for English. I also had to buy goggles and a cheap, plastic, white lab coat to match. Yes, I was in style for my sciences. But no, I wasn't that excited to start college so soon. It felt like summer vacation had sped by without making its presence known. I guess that was due to me staying inside my small townhome all day with my mother, father, and younger brother. I didn't like the heat. In fact, I absolutely hated summer. And trust me, so would you if you lived in Maryland. It was like walking into a penetratable wall of mist through the 90oF sunny weather. That's how humid it gets here. Ridiculous. But I love thunderstorms. They always entertained me as their dark, monstrous clouds rolled in over the neighborhood, cascaded their shadows, and blocked away the sun completely. Immediately the heat is sucked up and replaced by a cool, windy atmosphere. I love it. It got even more exciting when the power got knocked out as a result, but that's another story to tell for another time.

I had a small circle of good friends, and yes, I did spend some time with them during the summer. Sharon especially. She was someone who understood me completely. Secrets weren't considered secrets when it came to me and Sharon. Everything that came to our minds were openly discussed in our own humorous ways. "Do you remember Brad when that girl he was flirting with decided to dump her cup of red Kool-Aid over his head?!" Sharon asked me with wide, green eyes. Brad McMurphey was a strange kid. One of those flirtatious video gamers who only picked girls with big boobs. One of those anime obsessed porno guys you'd find on the computer all afternoon. He sure picked a winner that day in our small cafeteria in high school last year in the fall. God, he would never give up, too. He was so persistent, so annoying, just so… obnoxious. I'm just glad he strayed clear from Sharon and me although he had tried to court Sharon during the beginning of the school year. What a failure that was. "He got what he deserved" I told her. We both laughed.

It was a shame though. Sharon was still in high school. Except this year she took my place as the senior for Howard High's class of 2007. I was the only one going off to college in my friend group. That sucked. I don't know anyone who attends this college. No one. I was alone in this strange environment, but I was sure I'd make a few friends tomorrow when my Monday classes began. You see, this college has got to be the smallest college in all of Maryland. Perhaps I should have gone to Towson University, or perhaps Salisbury University? I got accepted to both, maybe I should have chosen a larger university. No, I think I'll like here. Villa Julie College has small classrooms. No large lecture rooms. I liked that. Plus Villa Julie College was very secluded. Nothing but green forests and large farms surrounded the campus. It was nice, peaceful, relaxing. Yes, I think I will enjoy my school career here. Very much so.

I quickly covered my mouth to stifle another reoccurring yawn. _What time is it? _I looked down towards the bottom, right hand corner of my laptop's monitor. 2:10 am it read. Wow. It was very late. I don't know how I could possibly wake up for my eight-o-clock class this morning. I doubt I'd wake up in time. That usually happened in high school when I stayed up until three to four in the morning. It was sad. I'd miss the bus and had to walk the extra mile to get to school only to receive a scowl from my teacher. "Hey, I could have stayed home and slept in if you wanted me to" I told Mr. Richards, my trigonometry teacher. With that he'd frown, turn around, and continued whatever he was lecturing on before I had so rudely interrupted his class. You know, when I think about it, I'm surprised I got an A in that class. Hell, I'm surprised I graduated with all A's. I had a big mouth. A very opinionated one at that. I didn't like others telling me what to do, and if I didn't agree with someone I made them know I didn't. In fact, my big mouth got me detention when I decided to back talk our school principal. I don't regret it. It was worth it.

I lazily got up from the dorm's provided wooden, blue cushioned chair and stretched, allowing my ridiculously thin arms to reach above my head. All of a sudden, I felt heavily dizzy from the blood rush, so I quickly grabbed a hold of the chair while I held my eyes shut until the uncomfortable tingling sensations passed. I hated when that happened. It usually occurred when I stood up to fast, or if I was tired and sat for too long. Either way, it was a horrible feeling.

Finally my vision came back. No more black spots, so I pulled the covers of my dorm's bed by the large window which contained the wonderful view of a nearby dorm building, huddled in, wrapped my large, lime comforter tightly around my petite frame, and pulled the small switch from the lamp on my night table to kill the light. Finally, it was dark except for the blue-ish lighting of the half moon and the bright green numbers from my alarm clock. Everything became still. Everything became silent. Slowly my eyes droop and I feel myself being pulled into unconsciousness.

MEEP MEEP MEEP! My hazel eyes flutter open instantly as my hand slams hard on the snooze button. The sun was rising. I could tell. My single dorm room was lit in a strange orange glow. Not too bright, but just enough to keep me from falling back asleep.

My eyes widen. That's right. Today was my first day of classes. I turn my head quickly to face my alarm clock. 7:00am. Shit. I only had an hour before my psychology class started. I could've sworn I had set my alarm clock to wake me up at 6:30 am. I must've slept through it. I wouldn't be surprised if I did.

I slowly removed the covers, got out of bed, and searched through my unpacked suite case for some clean clothes. Fresh socks, a white t-shirt, denim jeans, the usual. I was never one for dressing beautifully, never into the styles and fads, I dressed for comfort. So with my clothes in hand, I took a few steps to the bathroom, changed, and brushed my teeth. Unfortunately I didn't have time to wash my hair this morning, but I did take one last night. My hair was fine. Maybe it was unruly and 'all over the place', but clean nonetheless. Good right? So I brushed it a few times until it looked nice and well-combed. I was happy. Nothing too special in the hair style department. It was plain. It suits me.

Quickly, I left the bathroom, grabbed my book bag off the floor by my bed, picked up my printed schedule from the floor by the printer, and took another look at my alarm clock. 7:45 am it read. I had fifteen minutes.

I hurriedly unlocked the door to my dorm, fast walked down the blue carpeted, white painted hallway, down the dark green steps, and out the front door of the building. Immediately the humidity slammed against me, knocking the breath straight out of my fragile lungs. The air was so heavy, so muggy, and the above morning sun only made it worse. I hated it, but there was so little one could do about the weather. It didn't matter, so I pushed that aside.

I noticed other students leaving their dorm buildings to head out to class. Some were wearing their pajamas, others were dressed to perfection. I honestly couldn't figure out why people wake up so early just to look "decent" throughout a day of school. As long as you got up, got dressed, and made it to class, everything will go comfortably.

I slung my bag higher on my shoulder and took a look at my school schedule. _Psychology 101 Owing Mills caves_. The 'caves' was a small building down the hill by the college's dining hall building. Not far at all. It will take me three to five minutes give or take.

It felt strange walking past many college students. I wasn't used to it. I missed the high school atmosphere, the teachers yelling at unruly students, the cliques clotting the thin hallways, all of it. Gone. College is different. Very, very, very different. Never in my life had I experienced such…_openness_. I swear everyone looked the same here. There was a preppy, mature, professional vibe. People carried laptops and fancy school equipment and were clad in Hollister, American Eagle, or Abercrombie & Fitch clothing. Yep, I was so plain. So plain that my standoffish style stood out amongst the crowd of style fanatics.

Finally, I approached the front doors of a small, hutted, concrete building. The outside wasn't at all flattering, but the inside was a different story. _It was beautiful_. There were so many windows, a curved glass wall caging a study room in front of the entrance, a fancy empty receptionist desk, and a small student lounge complemented with large sofas and small tables at the back. The health center was located directly to my left next to the study room and to the dark green stairs curving downwards towards the lower floor. Green. My school's theme color. It was everywhere. On the walls, the floor, the receptionist desk. Mustang pride was apparently displayed on the nearby wall as small solid black horses ran towards the professor offices on the wall.

My eyes settled on the clock placed upon the green wall adjacent to the receptionist desk. 7:58. _Crap_. I didn't know which class room. I began to panic.

Luckily a girl around my age walked past me holding our class psychology text book. Perhaps she would know.

"Umm excuse me" I began. The girl stopped and faced me.

"Yeah?" she sounded rushed. In a hurry. That gave me hope.

"Are you in Psychology 101?" I asked.

"Uh yeah? I'm heading there right now" she seemed confused and bothered.

"Oh thank God I have that same class. I'm new here so I don't really know where everything is" I told her.

She seemed helpful, but I could tell she didn't want to be bothered. She was obviously in a hurry to get to class, and someone like me just had to stall her from accomplishing her task.

She smiled understandingly, "sure! Follow me! It's the first class room to your right down this hall"

I quickly followed her from behind and watched her enter the bright class room. I was amazed at how fast the students beat me to the class room. It was filled. Packed. I didn't think such a small room could house that many students. At least the windows aligning the opposite wall gave the illusion of space. I could live with that.

The desks were white, rectangular, and long. They stretched from the far end of the room by the windows towards the door. No, I wasn't bothered by that. I just wasn't used to seeing a class like this. It was strange. Unusual. Unlike high school, the chairs were comfortable. You know, like those chairs for your computer desk. It was nice.

I looked around the room in search for vacant chairs. The back row? One, two, three, four…no. All the chairs were filled. I scanned towards the front. _Damn._

"We have two seats open right here if you'd like"

I averted my gaze from the seats in front of me to a plump lady standing at the front of the class room. I assumed she was the professor. She smiled.

"Where?" I asked. I honestly couldn't see any open seats.

She walked a few steps towards the middle of the front row and pointed to the only two vacant seats.

"Right here"

"Oh, thank you" I must have been blind. How could I not see that?

As I took the seat more towards the center of the class room, I noticed that some students were staring at me; others were eyeing the clock above the entrance door. They all looked impatient. I was obviously holding the class back. I felt embarrassed.

"Alright" the professor began, "I think we have everyone. So did all you have a nice summer break?"

I quickly pulled out my binder and my pen, placed it on the desk, and prepared myself for fifty minutes of class time while the rest of the class either nodded their heads or verbally replied.

"That's good" she said as she picked up a large stack of packets and handed out a couple to the end of each elongated table.

The students beside me each took one for their own until the last packet was handed down to me. I flipped through. Only five pages. Not bad.

"Alright. What I just handed out to all of you was…" she stopped and turned her attention to the opening door. I, like the rest of the class, followed her gaze.

A tall man, _very tall_, wearing a black buttoned-down shirt with the sleeves rolled back, dark blue, form fitting jeans, and black converse sneakers quietly shut the heavy door. I swear he had the palest skin. So strangely pale. And his hair? Black. Almost a dark blackish-blue and stylishly unruly. But when he faced the teacher and the class, I forget how to breath. Like the time a speeding soccer ball landed hard against my chest knocking my wind out. I have _never seen_ someone quite like this person. _Never_.

"W-welcome! Please join us" apparently the teacher was just as surprised as the rest of the female population. The guys, however, thought differently. In fact, I could've sworn I heard one of them cough out 'pretty boy' in the back row. How mature.

He began walking towards me. _Why?_ Because the only seat provided just had to be the one next to mine. That usually was my luck. Don't get me wrong, I don't _mind_ having someone so attractive sitting next to me, but I hated the attention. This guy would definitely bring bundles of unwanted attention. Too late though. It was already happening. The girls were glaring at me.

It was sad though. As much as I hated flirty girls, I couldn't blink. I couldn't take my eyes of him. His beauty paralyzed me. I didn't like it. Luckily his eyes were facing the front board as he walked towards the seat next to mine. _Stop staring, stop staring, stop staring_. Crap. He averted his gaze.


	2. Chapter 2

**I would first like to 'thank' all those who reviewed: **Angelius Cullen, MoonlightKiss01, **and** xiomara209

**Thank you so much! **

--

_He began walking towards me. __Why? Because the only seat provided just had to be the one next to mine. That usually was my luck. Don't get me wrong, I don't __mind_ _having_ _someone so attractive sitting next to me, but I hated the attention. This guy would definitely bring bundles of unwanted attention. Too late though. It was already happening. The girls were glaring at me._

_It was sad though. As much as I hated flirty girls, I couldn't blink. I couldn't take my eyes of him. His beauty paralyzed me. I didn't like it. Luckily his eyes were facing the front board as he _

_walked towards the seat next to mine. __Stop staring, stop staring, stop staring. Crap. He averted his gaze._

**Unordinary, yet Ordinary Love **

Chapter 2

How strange. Very strange, really. It soon became apparent to me. No wonder the professor couldn't stop staring at this guy, let alone the rest of the class. _His eyes_. I was in awe. It went against all that I had learned. _Red eyes?_ Yes, red. A dark, crimson color which contrastingly stood out against his deep pupils, black hair, and pale skin. No, I wasn't _swooning_, or whatever it is love-struck girls called it. I was… curious?

Engaged?

Interested?

He has a down casted facial expression. No smile upon his thin lips. No animation in his flawless face. No expressed emotion. Yet he was staring at me. He seemed as deeply interested with me as I with him.

Slowly he continued towards the empty seat next to mine. It happened leisurely. Time seemed to stop as he gently placed his black back pack against his chair, gracefully sat down, and softly placed his arms on the long table. He never removed his sharp gaze on me.

"Here's the course syllabus" the professor interjected, "thank you for joining"

With his red eyes strictly glued on to me, he nodded his head to acknowledge the professor and took the papers from her hand.

I was beginning to feel awkward. Strange and unorthodox couldn't accurately describe the situation I was in. No guy pays this much attention to someone for this long. I had to look away. Difficult as it was, it had to be done.

I quickly, noticeably, and clumsily took a hold of my psychology class syllabus and ripped my eyes from his face.

I forcefully skimmed through the words as the professor explained the course objectives.

"Three tests…" _sounds reasonable_, "each worth 30 of your final grade"

_Ok_

"Class participation is highly regarded in this class" _great_, "class participation will be worth 5 of your daily class grade"

_I could still feel him looking at me_

"This means skipping class could significantly affect your final grade" _should I look?_—I question myself.

"Also, attending class will allow you to learn more deeply and thoroughly…"

At this point, the syllabus and the professor's voice became a minute factor. The temptation was too great. Overpowering. Consuming. I timidly, and very slightly, move my head towards his side. Just enough get a view of his euphoric face. Just enough to seem unsuspicious. To not let my actions be known and to unfortunately be caught.

I shift my eyes onto him quickly. His pale hands are holding his syllabus in the same manner as mine on the table. His head is facing forward towards the front of the class room. Appearing to skim over the words, too?

I look at his eyes. Those strange, yet hypnotizing eyes.

My heart stopped. A strange tingling sensation uncomfortably ran through my veins. I was caught. His gaze had moved from the syllabus to my face in less than a second catching me off guard. He still appeared emotionless, but his eyes had a flicker. A spark. I could almost notice the twitch at the very corner of his mouth. Hiding back a smile?

Perhaps. That, or he finds my actions amusing and, as a result, hides back a laugh. Mockery, I presume.

Nevertheless, I had to rip my eyes off his entrapping face, once again, and continued to skim through the syllabus in my hands.

Overall, the rest of this long and obnoxious morning class continued in this same manner. It was an upmost challenge to keep my eyes from leaving the syllabus. I forced myself, as much as I possibly could, to keep my attention on the monotonous voice of my professor while rereading the same words over and over again as a distraction.

"Alright class" I looked up at my professor, pulling me out of my distraction.

She shakes her head in utter shock as she rolls her sleeve to view her wrist watch. Her eyes widen.

"Well, it's eight fifty-six" she unrolls her sleeve, "I've kept you all for too long"

I can hear the class arise from its sleeping state. The sound of binders closing, papers crumpling, and zippers zipping was a warning call for me to do the same. And so I did. I placed the syllabus in my binder, slammed it shut, and in the back pack it went. I looked to my right. He was gone.

But how?

He was sitting next to me a minute ago, right?

I didn't even hear him leave.

That thought was unsettling. Yet, as half the class emptied itself rather quickly, it supposedly made sense. At least, that's what I told myself.

I slowly stood up from my seat. Slowly. Very slowly since standing up seemed to cause extreme dizziness. I took a hold of my back pack, lazily slung it over my shoulders, and squeezed through the narrow space of the small class room. Finally, I made it to the door, opened it, and walked out into the bright hallway.

"Hey Emily!" a familiar boyish voice called me, "Hold up!"

I turned around, absolutely confused, yet stunned that someone in this college knows who I am. I couldn't believe who was standing in front of me. I was not expecting this.

"Hey, remember me?"

I nodded my head and smiled. Oh yes, do I remember him.

"Hi Brad" I said, "I'm surprised to find you here"

The word 'surprised' was such an understatement, and it was amazing how much his appearance had changed during the course of a year. He no longer wore those ridiculous glasses which concealed his amazing green eyes. His sandy brown hair was no longer unkempt and disgustingly long as it once was. It was now reasonably short and fashionably styled. Oh, and his attire had taken a complete turn for the better. No more plain t-shirts and tacky, ripped jeans. No, he wore a white buttoned down shirt and dark jeans which fitted his fit shape nicely. _He is unmistakably handsome_.

"Yeah" he said nervously as he slowly walked towards me while running his hand through his hair, "I'm even surprised"

I teasingly rolled my eyes. He smiled.

"So uh…" he started.

"What? What 'uh'?" I asked while raising a brow.

"What class do you have next?" he blurted out, his smile widening as he shifted his weight.

"Hold on, let me check my schedule…" I told him as I dropped my bag and reached for my binder.

"What, can't remember your own schedule?" he teased and let out a short, throaty laugh.

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh of my own as I pulled out my schedule. It was nice and relieving to find someone I know who also attends this small college, even it did happen to be Brad McMurphey 'the high school womanizer'.

"Ok" I scanned the schedule, "I have English 151 with Dr…"

I rescanned the schedule.

"Dr. Harris from…um"

I looked back again.

"Dr. Harris from ten fifteen to eleven"

There. Finally.

"You really need to study you schedule" he told me while laughing.

"Why?" I asked, "as the semester goes by, wouldn't I get used to my class schedule?"

I folded the paper into a small square and shoved it into my jean pocket. Brad, on the other hand, reached into his pocket to pull out a crinkled paper. He unfolded it. His smile widened.

"Hmmm" he taunted, "I'm in the same English class as you!"

He removed his face from his schedule to peer up at me in order to interpret my reaction.

"You know" I told him, "you didn't answer my question"

He smiled mischievously, "I thought it was rhetorical"

I rolled my eyes, folded my arms over my chest stubbornly, and smiled. _Guys_. How typical.

"Soooo…" he began as he shoved his schedule back into his pocket, "we have around an hour of free time. Do you want to head over to that crappy student lounge?"

I shrugged, "yeah sure, I don't mind. As long as we don't keep standing here like a bunch of idiots"

I narrowed my eyes teasingly, "like what we are doing now, I mean"

Brad dramatically threw his hands up into the air defensively.

"You're right! We've been standing here for a while! The other students are gonna tease us! Oh the humiliation!"

I frowned. He was confusing me.

"C'mon!" he said as he impulsively grabbed my back pack off from the floor, slung it over his shoulder, and began walking down the hall. I had no choice but to follow him. He had my belongings.

Luckily the student lounge was just to right of the hallway. It's a nice open space with comfortable sofas and low tables organized at the left hand side. On the right hand side, numerous tall round tables and tall chairs encompassed the space. It was very bright since the back wall was made of windows which provided a lovely view of the green athletics field.

Brad and I took a seat on one of the far end sofas. I enjoyed talking to him. He told me about all his horrible dating experiences, and how each one of them ended up with him having to buy new clothing. How his summer vacation with his father went as they enjoyed their mutual time in Ocean City for a few days. He told me about how he lost his mother when he was only three years old due to a car crash. How his father raised him alone.

We also compared schedules, and I was lucky to find that we both were in the same psychology and English class. Perhaps my college career won't be so lonely after all. With Brad by my side, I wouldn't doubt an exciting school life.

"It's ten-ten you know" I told him after reading the clock on the wall, "we have five minutes to get to class"

He pursed his lips in deep thought, and then shrugged his shoulders as he stood up from the sofa.

"Alright, let's go" he said as he smiled.

I stood up and followed him. We leisurely walked side by side to our English class room, which, thank god, was located in this same building.

"So" he started, "I couldn't help but notice pretty boy staring at you all throughout psychology class"

I turned my head swiftly towards him.

"Pretty boy?" I asked.

"Yeah, you know…" he paused, "that pale guy with the black hair who couldn't keep his eyes off you"

"Wait a minute" I said, "so you were staring at 'pretty boy' all throughout psychology as he was staring at me?"

I had to laugh at that, and it was too much of a temptation not to tease Brad and his silly antics. He was obviously embarrassed. He looked down, his face red.

"Brad, I'm teasing you" I told him. He looked up and smiled at me.

"Let's go!" I grabbed his wrist, "I wouldn't be surprised if class already started without us"

I pulled him towards the class room and opened the heavy door. The room looked exactly like our psychology class room. All the seats were the same. The elongated tables were the same. A wall with aligned windows allowed the sun to light up the room. The same. Unfortunately, there were many students. Seats were, therefore, rare.

Quickly, though, Brad squeezed between a few seated students as he skipped towards two empty seats by the large windows. He flung his large back pack onto the table in a loud _thump_.

"Em! I found us seats!" he announced.

_Great. Just great._ I looked around. Everyone was staring at me. _Everyone_. Brad was standing there with his arms wide open, a solicit grin on his boyish face. I had no choice but to accompany and sit next to him. He had provided a seat with my name on it.

"Thanks a lot _Brady_" I whispered angrily as I dropped my bag on the floor next to my seat.

"You're welcome" he happily replied, oblivious to his newfound nickname as he scavenged for something in his book bag.

I threw my arms on the table and sighed. I was getting exhausted. Mornings were my absolute worst enemies. Nights however, nights were my favorite. Around eightish or nineish pm were the times my energy levels reached their high peaks. I was always hyper around those times. Mornings were weird, though. I'd be groggy an hour after waking, then hyper, then I'd become a zombie around early…noonish? Or was it…no, I'm right. It's noonish.

"Oh great" Brad said, interrupting my pointless thoughts.

"What now?" I asked him, turning my head to see his tense facial features.

His lips tightened and his eyes unconsciously narrowed.

"Pretty boy is in this class too"

I followed his gaze to find _him_ standing near the entrance door.

My heart stopped. A strange chilling, yet electrical, feeling spread from the very pit of my stomach to the outer extremities of my petite body. I was already embarrassed at what this guy most likely thinks of me. _The girl who couldn't keep her eyes of me_. Yeah. I was that girl.

Again, almost instantly, I was pulled by this invisible force. _Those eyes_. They were on fire. They appeared to blaze brighter once they stared directly into my brown pools. He then did something I had not expected him to do. _He smiled_.

He was _gorgeous_. _Stunning_. Almost _inhuman_. The smile made his angular, yet sharp features soften as he walked towards me.

With each one of his long steps, my heart rate increased drastically.

_Oh no, he's walking towards me._

Each pump of my minute organ seemed to justify itself to another, more intense pump. Yet he surprised me by halting a few seats in the row in front of me, softly placed his bag on the floor, and gracefully took a seat between two other guys. He faced the front of the class room, ignoring my gaze.

"Em. Emily, hello" Brad said while he tapped my foot from under the table, pulling me out of my trance.

"_What?_" I whispered back angrily, having to unwillingly tear my eyes from that mysterious classmate and face Brad.

He frowned.

"Did you hear what I said?" he asked.

I shook my head, "no, I didn't. What did you say?"

"Geez you're so absentminded" he teased, "look at our English professor. Doesn't he remind you of a skinny Kentucky fried chicken guy?"

"Wait" I said in shock, "the professor is in the class?"

Brad let out a frustrated huff and shook his head, "well" his eyes narrowed, "if you haven't been _staring_ at pretty boy this whole time, then you might have noticed. Plus, where else should the professor be?"

It was my turn to frown.

"How are all of you today?" our professor asked.

No one responded.

I looked away from Brad's indigenous expression in order to face the front of the class room. There in front of me, a few rows ahead, was our professor. Brad was absolutely right. It took a lot of energy and strength not to laugh out loud, so I stifled my giggles to the best of my power and ability. I could see Brad smiling to my side from the corner of my eye.

"Quite the lively bunch, eh?" the professor continued, "well, I figure you all had an enjoyable summer break"

A few students nodded their heads, some shook their heads, some groaned, while Brad coughed 'yeah right' causing a few other students to laugh as a result of his clownish personality. He was such an embarrassment, and he would always say what came to mind without a second thought.

The class progressed similarly as any other typical class during your first day back from summer break. Within five minutes of the class, Brad had pulled out a blank sheet of paper and began doodling strange shapes with his blue pen. I, on the other hand, couldn't bear to read another syllabus, so I allowed my temptations to overpower my reasonable thoughts. After all, _he_ wasn't seated next to me. He sat in front of me. Perfect since he wouldn't have a clue as to whether or not I was staring at him.

I couldn't believe I had allowed myself to lose myself to another person's appearance. I felt stupid, immature, and absolutely ridiculous. Never in my life had I been this entranced by the opposite sex. Never. Yet, there was something about him. Something I couldn't quite put a finger on. It made staring that much more exciting and enthralling. A puzzle to be solved.

Even from behind he was beautiful. He sat up straight, perfect posture, while most of the class relied on the table for head and upper body support. His dark hair shimmered in the provided sunlight as his skin seemed to glow unnaturally. It was a sight to see.

Out of nowhere, Brad's left arm gently elbowed my side in order to grab my attention. He slid a piece of paper in front of me along with his blue pen.

I eyed him, "what now?" I hissed.

He had, once again, interrupted my much enjoyed trance.

Brad grinned, "You're supposed to write your name down…" he pointed his finger on the provided space, "right here"

I looked at the sheet in front of me, picked up the blue pen, and scribbled my name down in an uncaring manner.

"Why am I signing this?" I asked Brad.

He let out a deep laugh and shook his head.

"You are completely spacey today, you know that?" he teased, "you're signing your life away. That's what"

"Very funny" I replied, losing patience. He was annoying me on purpose.

"I know" he smirked, "it's hilarious"

"Excuse me, but could you please pass down our row attendance sheet?" the girl sitting next to me asked, "everyone else is leaving and I would also like to leave this classroom"

Brad laughed as I slid the attendance sheet down towards the girl on my left. She quickly scribbled her name on the provided space, passed it down the next person, impatiently shoved her school belongings into her pink back pack, stood up, and hurriedly left the classroom in speeds I couldn't process. All the while, Brad was still laughing.

"Brad" I said, "it's really not that funny. You can stop laughing now "

Brad slowly controlled his giggles, shook his head, and placed all his school belongings into his bag.

"It _was_ funny Em" he said, "you should have seen your face when that girl ran out of the room!"

He was laughing again.

"Priceless!" he blurted.

I decided that the best thing to do was to ignore his childish antics. He would quiet down sooner or later. Until then, I took advantage of his distraction. I was surprised to find the class empty except for Brad and me.

A strange falling feeling encompassed my stomach as a thought came to mind. _He _left. Again. I promised myself that I would watch him leave. To see how someone so beautiful could gracefully rise from the school chair, perfectly squeeze past the many students, and leave the room without the slightest sound made. It was impossible.

I blamed Brad for the interruption, and I felt a wave of anger sweep through me.

"Brad, shut your pain in the ass mouth and let's go" I told him as I stood up and marched towards the door.

Brad shook his head, stood up, and lifted my bag along with his as he walked towards me.

"You forgot this" he told me, a smile on his face.

Glaring, I snatched my back pack from his hands and swung it carelessly over my shoulder. He frowned.

"Did something crawl up your ass?" he questioned, "what's with the sudden change in mood?"

"You" I muttered, "you crawled up my ass and hit a nerve"

Brad's green eyes widened and an immature smirk replaced his serious expression. He was going to tease me for my unintelligent choice of words.

I huffed and escaped the room before Brad could respond.

"Wait! Wait!" Brad yelled while running down the hall to catch up with me.

I stopped, turned around, and gave him one of my most atrocious expressions. I wasn't in the mood for his teasing and his jokes at the moment.

He skidded to a stop at my side, bending down, panting, catching breath while he raised his head to look at me.

"I'm sorry" he breathed and I raised my brow, "I'm sorry that I found your expression funny when that girl left"

He smiled teasingly, "I'm also sorry for crawling up your ass and hitting one of your delicate nerves"

I frowned. I should have expected him to apologize in such a selfish way, so I rolled my eyes and continued my walk down the hall. Brad annoyingly followed.

"Okay, okay" he said, exasperated, "I'm sorry for making you angry"

I stopped and faced him.

"You mean you're sorry for being a dumbass?" I asked him.

He stared at me, a smile playing around the corner of his lips.

"Yes Emily" he started, "I'm sorry for being an _immature_ dumbass"

I smiled. This was the best apology I would receive from him, I figured. The guy never took anything seriously. A boy at heart. His excuse.

"Apology accepted" I told him.

He grinned triumphantly.

"For now" I added.

Brad still held his grin, relieved that I wasn't angry with him anymore.

We both continued to enjoy each other's company for the remainder of the day. Until our one O'clock sociology class, we relaxed in the provided student lounge. The sofas were unfortunately taken by exhausted students. Each was occupied by someone sleeping. Even the short sofa chairs were occupied by someone sleeping. Instead, Brad and I took our seating to the provided wooden chairs.

Sociology class was in the same room as our psychology class. It was a relief to have all of our Monday, Wednesday, and Friday classes here in the same building. A relief that I wouldn't have to walk up and down that large hill between classes. We sat in the back row since Brad hated sitting near the front.

The class went by smoothly, but I was disappointed. I had developed an expectation. An expectation that I would see _him_ again in class. The thought was ridiculous. I felt ridiculous. I've only seen him twice in my life, but seeing someone _so_ different places a mark in one's mind. It's as if I'd known this person for much longer. As if we'd gone through an entire school year together.

"Are you hungry?" Brad asked with hopeful eyes.

We had spent our entire time reading the chapters required for next class. Looking at the clock on the far wall in the student lounge, it was seven O'clock pm. Late. Brad had a difficult time reading. He couldn't focus, and each sentence was torture. Restless as he was, Brad was hoping I was hungry so that he could get away from the tormenting reading.

"Yeah, I am" I told him, feeling my stomach growl.

Brad immediately slammed his psychology text book, shoved it in his bag, and removed himself from the sofa. I, on the other hand, gently closed my sociology text book, placed it in my back pack, and slowly stood up from the sofa.

"So" I started, "where should we eat?"

Brad smiled and began walking towards the exit.

"Come on" he beckoned, "I know a restaurant down the street"

"Why not eat at the school diner?" I asked, "we have a ton of meal plans to use up"

Brad shrugged nonchalantly and walked out the building's glass doors. I followed suit, allowing the cool summer air to fill my lungs. It felt nice being outside, and the sun had an orange glow since it was setting. Quickly, I met up with Brad at the nearby parking lot.

He was holding the passenger door open for me, a large grin plastered on his face.

"After you, madam" he joked.

"Way to be the gentleman" I teased as I took my seat in his black Toyota Camry. He gently closed the door.

Brad walked around the front of his car, sat in the driver's seat, placed the key into the ignition, and roared the car into life. He backed out of the parking lot.

After driving for two minutes, a Pizza Hut came into view. Brad slowly turned the car into the restaurant's parking lot, found a space, and parked the car.

"Stay put" he told me as he killed the engine, walked around the back of his car, and opened my door.

"How's this for being the gentleman?" he asked me, a teasing smirk upon his lips.

I furrowed my brow and released a nervous laugh.

"Yeah" I said, "the _perfect_ gentleman"

Laughing along with me, Brad took a hold of my hand and gently pulled me out the car. After, he let go of my hand and hooked his elbow around my arm. Over exaggerating as usual.

Quickly, Brad opened the restaurant's wooded doors, bowing his head.

"After you" he raised his head, a twinkle in his eye, "my lady"

"Pfff" I laughed, "Brad, you're ridiculous"

He grinned at my reaction, "ridiculously handsome and gentlemanly" he added.

"Whatever" I jokingly scoffed, lightly punching him in the shoulder as I walked into the restaurant.

I had a great time with Brad, I'll admit. Eating pizza never felt this fun. He had a horrible habit of teasing the waiters and those eating around us. He seemed to always find something funny in everything. In the end, we ended up staying in Pizza Hut for two full hours. It was now nine pm, and I could feel the 'first-day-of-school' exhaustion seeping in. Luckily tomorrow I wouldn't have to wake up so early.

Brad placed twenty dollars down on the table, gently hooked my arm as before, and escorted me to the passenger seat of his car. I was honestly too tired to feel flattered.

The drive back to dorms couldn't feel longer. The passing lights were hypnotizing. I was slowly lulled to sleep.

"Emily" Brad gently shook my shoulder, "wake up, we're here"

I slowly fluttered my eyes open, taking in the dim moonlight.

"Huh?" I asked, slightly disoriented and confused.

Brad laughed.

"Oh!" I realized, "how long was I asleep for?"

He shook his head while grinning.

"Well" he started, "seeing as the drive only lasted for two minutes, you fell asleep a minute ago"

I frowned and opened the passenger door to free myself from his car. He followed my actions and met up with me on the passenger's side.

"Do you need someone to walk you to your dorm?" he asked.

I looked up at him.

"By someone, do you mean you?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

He smiled and extended his arms outwards.

"Who else!" he replied, full of himself.

"Thanks" I replied, "but no thanks"

Brad's arms disappointingly fell back to his sides. He was expecting another answer.

"Brad, it's nothing personal" I said, "I just feel like I need some time alone as I head to bed"

He nodded his head understandingly and pulled me into his friendly hug.

"Alright" he said as he gently released me from his embrace, "be careful walking to your dorm. The lights aren't working like they should"

I looked around. He was right. It was extremely dark.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine" I smiled, reassuring him.

Again, he nodded his head and smiled. He turned around and began walking towards his dorm building located at the opposite direction from my dorm building.

I took this as my cue to do the same, so I began walking towards my own building.

I had a strange feeling while walking alone in the dark. Something didn't feel right. A cold chill suddenly bolted down my spine. Goose bumps encompassed my skin. _Is there someone behind me?_

I stopped and turned around.

Nothing.

I was utterly and completely alone. An uncomforting feeling indeed.

I looked more around my dark surroundings hoping to find Brad playing a stupid trick on me. Still nothing.

"Weird" I muttered under my breath as I quickly jogged to the entrance of my dorm building while rubbing my arms roughly with my hands.

Once inside, I impatiently walked into my dorm room. I quickly locked the heavy door, hurriedly changed into my sweats, and jumped into my soft bed.

Turning off my lamp, the night welcomed me. I still felt uneasy. It was if something, or _someone_, was watching me. Not in the room, but from the window by my bed. I was too petrified to turn my body around towards the window. I felt like those kids who feared to sleep on their sides, exposing their backs to whatever horror stood before them.

Luckily, I fell asleep despite my paranoid ideations. Peaceful and warm dreams soon replaced my fear.

--

**Sorry it took some time for me to update. I apologize.**

**It will probably take a few weeks for the next chapter to come out. College sucks. **

**OH! And guess what... Villa Julie College is real! I go there!  
**

**Check it out: /**

**Please review! I greatly appreciate all of you for reading my boring story :D**


	3. Chapter 3

HELLO EVERYONE! Miss me? I apologize for my late update. I've been busy, lazy, working, sleeping, playing Harvest Moon, etc.

But alas! Here is chapter 3 in all it's glory. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

It's ten O'clock. Morning, of course. I was sitting outside of the large pavilion at the dorm campus on one of those wooden benches. It was another hot and muggy day. There were, however, a few clouds floating aimlessly in the sky. That's always something to be thankful for. It provided the occasional shade as I waited for the school's shuttle in order to make it to class on the other campus.

Today, out of all days, I decided to dress up nicely. Nice hugging jeans, a light green blouse, and green sandals complimented my petite figure nicely. My hair? No ponytails today. I let it hang down my shoulders. That wasn't a good idea, considering today's sticky weather. No makeup, though. I never enjoyed makeup. At least I won't have to worry about sweating makeup off my face. Greasy and oily products weren't made for my face during the summertime. Winters are a maybe, but I don't get my, or others', hopes up. Life was too short to waste on appearing beautiful.

"Hey! I thought I recognized you"

I shifted my gaze upwards, rather surprised by the interruption. A girl around my age stood before me. She had reddish curly hair, grey eyes, smiling pink lips, and soft facial features. The type of person your parents would call "a doll".

Searching my fuddled brain for any trace of recognition, I came to the conclusion that I hadn't noticed this girl in class. Then again, I couldn't remember anyone besides Brad, the professor, and definitely that man who sat next to me.

"Where'd you recognize me from?" I asked while I squinted my eyes. The glaring sun was blinding my vision.

I sounded rude, as always.

Her smile widened, "psychology class!"

I thought back to that day only to remember deep, crimson colored eyes. Grey eyes? No. Can't recall.

"Oh" I muttered, "I didn't know you were in my class, I'm sorry"

I hope I sounded less rude. I tried to sound apologetic. It was obvious; I lacked 'people' skills.

"Oh don't worry about it" she shook her head, "I wouldn't have noticed you either if I was sitting next to that strange guy"

That did it. My face flushed. Was my reluctant staring that obvious?

"He just couldn't keep his eyes off you!" she laughed, gushing.

I groaned as I buried my face into the palms of my hands. I hated attention. She was rubbing salt in my wound.

"Was it that obvious?" I asked, my voice muffled by my hands.

She gave me a questionable look, "what, that he couldn't stop staring at you?"

I lifted my head, "no, that _I_ couldn't stop staring at _him_"

"Oh," she thought, "well I sit right behind the guy, so it's only natural for me to notice him first."

Good. At least the attention wasn't directed firmly on me. As long as I wasn't fully noticed, everything was fine. The last thing I needed was attention from the other students. Such attention was embarrassing and annoying. Social phobia can do that to you.

Soon, a large van drove down the narrow road and parked at the outermost section of the circular drive-in. An old, bald man wearing a green uniform shirt and tan trousers walked out, opened the double door for the passengers. Four students, who were standing beforehand, quickly made their way into the van as if it were a race to the better seats.

I stood up quickly—the van was filling fast—but had to sit back down on the wooden bench. Everything turned black. My heart quickened in pace. I had to catch my breath. I could hear it pulsating painfully in my head. It was a strong repetitive _thump _by my temples.

_Thump thump thump thum-_"Ah!" I said as I placed my head back in my numbed hands. They tingled, as did my legs. Hell, even my lips were tingling.

I felt so weak. More so than ever. It had _never _been this bad.

"Are you ok?" the girl's soft voice asked in concern. Panic was evident in her voice.

Slowly, my vision came back. The black was now replaced by the day's light. The tingling sensation in my arms, hands, legs, lips, and feet finally disappeared. All natural feeling returned.

"Hey, are you ok?" she asked again as she placed her hand on my left shoulder.

I slowly and carefully stood up this time, stumbling slightly. The girl quickly took a hold of my arm to sturdy me. This had happened to me before, so there was no reason for me to worry. It's something I will have to live with. After all, low blood pressure can't be cured but only treated. Life was so unfair.

"I'm fine" I told her as I walked into the van. She still held my arm.

The inside of the van wasn't at all spacey. It looked like your typical van, so I, along with the girl still holding me up by my arm, took the far back seat. It was just me and her. The other four sat in the front; one sat next to the driver in the passenger seat. None of them seemed to care about my almost fainting spell. They all minded their own business. MP3's occupied their boredom.

"Are you sure you're ok?" she asked, freeing my arm of her hold now that I was sitting.

I looked at her, exasperated, "_yes_ I'm _fine_. I have low blood pressure, so standing up too fast does that to me."

She looked more concerned, if anything. Why couldn't she leave me alone?

"You know" she started, "I have low blood pressure too, but I have never seen it like this."

I shook my head to disagree, but internally I was nodding. It was definitely the worst feeling I had ever experienced thus far. The _thumping_ was so painful. I could feel a headache sinking in. The cherry on top, as I would say.

"Thanks, but I'm fine" I told her. I wanted to drop the subject.

"Well" she continued, "did you eat breakfast today?"

No. I didn't eat breakfast.

"Well, did you?" she pressed on.

"I wasn't hungry" I told her, "I was late getting up. I can't believe how early these classes are."

"Oh I know! I need my sleep, you know?" She gushed, the subject finally taking on a different route.

During the short 5 minute ride to the other campus, I was engaged in a conversation about our majors. As it turned out, this girl was also a nursing student. She was dorming in the building next to mine, so we were close. Her class was the second half of mine. A nursing science course. You see, she's in the nursing biology class while I'm in the nursing chemistry class. When half of the semester passes by, I will be in her biology class while she enrolls in my current chemistry class. Things work in funny ways, I suppose.

"So" she began as the van pulled up next to the 'bus stop' sign, "what's your name?"

"Emily" I told her, smiling. She returned the favor.

"Violet is mine" She smiled back, her eyes sparkling.

Together, we carefully climbed out of the stuffy van. Violet suggested holding my arm again, but I retold her that it wasn't necessary. I'll admit, I'm very stubborn and hate being helped by anyone. I did things my own way, sick or not. Violet, though, is also very stubborn. Instead of 

holding my right arm, she decided that my left arm could use some assistance. I was reluctant to say 'no', as always. I could never say 'no' easily to someone like Violet. Her aura screamed caring. With her stubborn caring, she could save a large population of starving children.

"Hey Emily" she called softly, her face staring down closely at my left wrist. Her voice sounded strange.

I looked at her, furrowing my brow in confusion. She looked back at my face, a crease in her forehead.

"You have a strange red scar on your wrist and a bruise" she lifted my wrist towards my face.

I was shocked. Indeed, there was a very small fading blue bruise circling a tiny red scar. It was barely noticeable. Violet had a good eye. Very observant, she was.

"I probably banged it against something last night when I ran into my room" I told her, trying to explain how I'd receive such an injury. It made perfect sense to me. Sometimes, I tend to run into things without realizing. This was the obvious result of such actions.

Violet looked more relaxed. It made sense to her too.

"Yeah, sometimes I wake up with a scratch and wonder what I did" she told me as she released my wrist.

I nodded, agreeing, "I'm pretty sure that's what happened," I looked at my wrist again, "I mean, or maybe it's a bug bite, or something"

"Does it itch?" Violet asked, "does it hurt?"

I scratched it lightly, but I felt neither pain nor an itch. It was just a small indentation on my pale skin. Nothing more. Like a small horizontal scratch.

"No to both, it's just there" I told her, unconcerned about it.

I've received worse than a mere scratch and a bruise. This was nothing.

"Oh, ok" she said, a smile reappearing on her face, "What time is your class?"

"11am in room 2 at the Science Center" I told her proudly, glad that I had remembered my own schedule. I would have to thank Brad tomorrow for his advice on remembering my schedule. Then again, I didn't want to boost his already enlarged ego.

"Oh! Me too! Except mine is in room 1" Violet exclaimed loudly, "but we are going to be late…"

She looked over in her small purse, scavenging for something. She pulled out a small silver cell phone and flipped it open hastily. Her eyes narrowed, her mouth frowned.

"Well" she started, putting away her phone, "we have five minutes to get to class"

I mused for a moment as I considered our inevitable lateness. I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't matter. I've been late plenty of times in the past. College shouldn't be any different. Fortunately, detention no longer existed. The axe no longer swung above my neck.

"I'm sure the professor wouldn't give a damn if we were late on our first day" I told her, trying to erase her worries of lateness.

"Yeah…" she paused, "but I always like to make a good first impression"

I knew this would be her reply, and I guess she's right. I want to succeed in college. First impressions do play a role in the real world, I suppose.

"You know…" Violet continued, thinking that I hadn't understood what she meant, "like first sights. Those mean everything, I think so."

"True, very true" I told her, hating that she was right, but just mumbling to hide my stubborn emotions. Yet, I had never heard of 'first sight'. Perhaps she meant 'first sight' impressions. That made sense.

With that, Violet didn't want to waste another moment chatting. Still holding my left arm, she pulled me towards our class. This woman was on a mission.

I have to admit, this campus was very welcoming. The large oak tree provided most of the shade. It stood proudly in front of the small art building. Next was the large library building that loomed over the main office building to the right of the large oak. A red, wavy tree rested near the entrance. To the left, a two-story colonial style building stood. There was a small court yard near it. Wooden benches gave the building a 'homey' feel, and the many metal chairs and tables provided a resting place for outdoor loving students.

The steamy air was fragranced by the many flower bushes surrounding the buildings. Trees of all shapes and sizes—mainly oaks and a few evergreen trees—cooled the campus. Shade was everywhere.

This campus was beautiful. Peaceful. Very _natural_.

Abruptly, Violet pulled me into the said colonial style building named "Knott Hall". I was dragged by full force through heavy doors, entering the cool yellowish hallway. Down two or three flight of stairs—I couldn't keep up—Violet found the class rooms in record time.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, "never made it to class in such a rush before!"

I was laughing now. It was uncontrollable and it felt good to humor the situation. Though, there was no humor. I tend to laugh during the wrong moments.

"Yeah..." Violet was catching her breath.

This wasn't funny to her, I suspected.

"Well, I'm going to head in" she replied, walking with a small wave and a smile, "see you later Emily!"

And then I was alone.

Her class room door shut heavily after her. She was probably late. Anger wasn't that hard to miss.

I felt bad.

I figured I'd do the same. My class was only a few steps away from where I was standing.

Of course, as I walked in the science lab room, other students eyed me. They were scanning me. My appearance. My intelligence.

Even the professor, a heavy set woman with the most ridiculous of hairstyles, was judging my worthiness of being one of _her _students.

"I see we have a late comer" she announced slyly.

I paused in my tracks. What was I supposed to do?

"Yeah" was my reply.

One of her black eyebrows arched vehemently above her dark brown eye. I now understood the stares from the students.

They pitied me.

"Yeah is correct…" she looked down at a sheet of paper, "_Emily Burns_"

I shifted my stance, feeling uncomfortable.

"By the way" she added, "you do realize that this isn't high school, correct?"

"I would assume so…" I muttered, feeling a tinge of anger towards this professor.

She laughed; a throaty, yet smug chuckle. I could literally see the other students crumbling in their metal stool seats.

"Oh you would!" she smiled, "right then"

I was royally lost in her intentions.

"Uhhh… I graduated actually" I told her, "from high school I mean"

She paused; planning her next move.

"Tell me, Emily" she mused, "does your high school have a lateness policy?"

I now understood.

"Uh yeah" I thought for a moment, "obviously"

A girl sitting a few seats up ahead released a stiffened giggle. Another gasped to the left. The professor, though, only smiled in return.

"Obviously..." she repeated, "now take a seat"

I did. The one closest to me in the back had my name on it.

"Oh no Emily, I believe this seat over here is more appropriate" she told me as she gestured with her left hand at an empty seat near the front of the room.

Reluctantly, I walked towards the front and threw my belongings on the black topped table. I was sitting next to the girl who fought a laugh earlier. She ignored me now, though. I felt alone.

"Alright, now that that's all done and well" she clapped her hands together, "I believe I will skip all introductions and jump start this course because, after all, this course's information can easily be found elsewhere"

She walked up to face the large green black board in front.

"All you need to know, my students, is this" she scribbled on the board in white chalk.

'_Dr. Perry_' was neatly presented for all of us to see.

"Now…" Dr. Perry continued, "since you _all_ graduated from high school, I would assume you have taken the basics of chemistry, isn't that right Miss Burns?"

I stopped reaching into my bag for note paper and a pen. I was frozen on the spot. Perhaps she was calling on another 'Burns'.

"Don't give the silent treatment Emily, that's unprofessional"

I sat upright, still frozen, and embarrassed. I had never been called out before.

She, along with the rest of the class, was staring at me.

I had no choice but to reply.

"Yeah, I remember taking chemistry in high school"

Dr. Perry seemed pleased.

"Just like lateness procedures, yes" she teased, "so then, Emily, explain to me this"

She pulled out a large green text book from her bag and skimmed through a few pages. Finding her destination, Perry placed her long index finger on the page. Raising her eyes to my level, she returned her attentions to me.

"Explain to me, Miss Burns, Antoine Lavoisier's law of conservation of mass"

I blanked. This wasn't what I had wanted. All the attention was on me. Only me. Dr. Perry's smug expression only intensified the situation. The other students followed her example. I was instantly in the spotlight.

"I… uhh… she was… I mean he…" I stuttered. Anxiety took a hold of my mouth.

"Good" she intercepted, "yes, Mr. Lavoisier is indeed male. But please explain the law of conservation of mass Miss Burns"

My face was heating up. My heart was doing crazy things in my chest. I didn't know what to say. I was paralyzed. Everything was closing in on me. I felt a panic attack surfacing.

"I… I don't remember" I muttered shakily.

Dr. Perry had no emotion on her face, but only for a short time. Irritation became apparent now.

"Well then" Perry said, "it's quite obvious that you aren't well prepared for class today"

She paused, musing over what to do next.

Goose bumps trickled down my arms.

"Miss Burns" her voice was confident, "please leave the class for today, and do prepare yourself before you enter my class"

My stomach flopped violently. My heart stopped. I was publicly kicked out of class. Tears were building up at the corners of my eyes.

Quickly, and shakily, I grabbed my bag. I regretted standing too fast yet again, but the fear of embarrassment pumped my adrenaline as I walked out of the classroom and into the hallway hastily.

Now within the 'safe zone', my dizzy spell took a hold.

Like earlier this morning, my legs felt like rubber. Boneless. A tingling sensation overcame my cheeks, hands, and feet. Black fuzz was closing in on my sight.

"Ugh!" I yelled, trying to keep myself conscious. It wasn't working, so I forced myself to walk further down the hall.

I began panicking when my legs were ready to give out. Already, my vision went black. How else could my day possibly _worsen_?

Without notice, I bumped into something firm and very cool. My arms aimlessly, and in utter desperation, wrapped around it. I struggled to keep myself from fully collapsing. That was, however, until it wrapped its own arms around my waist to steady me.

"Relax" it whispered coolly into my ear.

It was a foreign voice. Unknown to my memory. Very male, as I could tell, and very gentle. Very caring and concerned. I obeyed him, whoever he was.

In that moment, my legs gave away—as did my whole body—and I was carefully lifted bridal style into the arms of this stranger.

--

Chapter 3 done. Again, I apologize for not updating it sooner :(

I'M SORRY!

Anyways, thanks for your patience. I will try to update chapter 4 as soon as I can. I start classes on the 25th this month, so I'll see what I can do.

Just to let you all know, I plan on changing the title of this fanfic. It needs something better.


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